Abstract
Polychaetes of the genus Sabellaria (Annelida, Sabellariidae) are gregarious bioconstructors that build reefs by assembling rigid tubes with sand grains in shallow waters. Sabellarid bioconstructions provide important ecosystem services such as sediment stabilization, water filtration and the mitigation of coastal erosion as well as nursery areas, shelter and feeding grounds for several marine species. Moreover, sabellarid reefs are exposed to both natural and anthropogenic disturbance and are therefore listed by international directives among the marine habitats deserving protection. We conducted a pilot study to assess the feasibility of habitat restoration with the sabellarid reef through a novel transplantation method. Fragments of S. spinulosa reef were collected at 1 m depth, fixed using epoxy putty into terracotta vases and then attached on the landward side of the two breakwaters in a coastal marine area enclosed in a Site of National Interest (SNI) of the central-western Adriatic (Mediterranean Sea). Overall, 14 of the 24 transplanted fragments (54.2%) survived during the study period (17 months). The total area of the transplanted reef fragments reduced during the early phase, appearing stable toward the end of the experiment. The transplantation method resulted effective given the survival rate observed, however, we did not observe the expected increase in the reef surface. Small-scale variation in environmental conditions such as organic load, sediment granulometry and hydrodynamics might have affected the growth capacity of the transplanted reef fragments. Further studies considering the microscale environmental requirements of this species are needed to better understand the feasibility of sabellarid reef restoration and its large-scale implementation.
Highlights
Marine biogenic reefs are bioconstructions typically built up by calcifying benthic organisms with calcareous structures, and resulting in complex tridimensional formations
1http://www.merces-project.eu/ 2https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/ 3https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/mission-starfish-2030-restore-ourocean-and-waters_en priority actions of environmental remediation are required by governmental laws due the high level of degradation of the area (Corinaldesi et al, 2022).We aim to test if transplantation is a feasible restoration method for sabellarid bioconstructions
The persistence percentage of the vases was 83.33% both at site A and B since 10 of the 12 deployed vases were found attached to the substrate at both sites (Table 1)
Summary
Marine biogenic reefs are bioconstructions typically built up by calcifying benthic organisms with calcareous structures (e.g., calcareous algae, oysters, corals, gastropods, and serpulid polychaetes), and resulting in complex tridimensional formations. Bioconstructions, originate from organisms with sand-binding and cementing capacities, such as the sabellarid polychaetes, Sabellarid Reef Restoration that can actively build up reefs (Ingrosso et al, 2018). Polychaetes of the genus Sabellaria (Annelida, Sabellariidae) are gregarious bioconstructors widely distributed worldwide (Kirtley, 1994). They build reefs in shallow waters of various morphologies (mushrooms, pillows, barriers, and platforms) by assembling rigid tubes using sand grains (Dubois et al, 2002; Pearce, 2014). The building organ, a horseshoe-shaped structure that sorts sediment grains by size, uses these grains to create a rigid tube. The sand grains are cemented by proteinaceous adhesives and placed on the outer edge of the tube (Vovelle, 1965)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call